Trump Commutes Roger Stone's Prison Sentence

On Friday, President Donald Trump commuted his former advisor, Roger Stone, of his 40-month prison sentence. Stone was convicted of lying to Congress, obstructing an investigation, and tampering with a witness during a congressional probe into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential elections. A White House statement released Friday said Stone was a “victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency." Coverage from the left tended to focus on the fact that Trump and Stone were longtime friends, highlighting Trump's broad use of his pardoning power throughout his presidency to those sympathetic to his administration. Some coverage from right-rated outlets emphasized the White House's "Russian Hoax" narrative, though it must be noted that Stone's charges were not for participating in the alleged Russian interference itself, but for interference in Congress' investigation.